Who are the Basque people?

The Basque people are the oldest indigenous living group known in Europe. They live in the north-west of Spain, and there are also three provinces in France. Their language, culture, customs, and land are all distinctly different from the rest of Europe. They have their own newspaper, radio, and educational system. The Basque people have strong traditional ties to their families and to their land. They have an independent spirit, respect for liberty of the individual, and a love of freedom.The Basque Country, in Spanish País Vasco, in Basque Euskadi or Euskal Herriia, comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) and historic region of northern Spain, encompasses the provincias (provinces) of Álava, Guipúzcoa, and Vizcaya (Biscay). The Basque Country is bounded by the Bay of Biscay to the north and the autonomous communities of Navarra to the east, La Rioja to the south, and Cantabria to the west. The Pyrenees Mountains separate the region from the Basque Country of France to the northeast; however, the ethnically similar autonomous community of Navarra makes up most of the border with the French Basque region. The current autonomous community of the Basque Country was established by the statute of autonomy of 1979. Its government consists of a president and a parliament. The capital is Vitoria-Gasteiz.